Tourists stranded in certain locations in Sikkim's Mangan district since Tuesday night's cloudburst remained stuck even on Saturday as evacuation choppers could not reach the areas because of inclement weather.
Since Wednesday, over 1,400 tourists have been stranded in places like Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang after the cloudburst triggered flash floods in the Teesta, which swept away the road and several bridges that connect these places with Mangan.
On Thursday, the Sikkim government decided to engage choppers of the Indian Air Force to transport essential items to these locations and bring back stranded tourists.
However, on Friday and Saturday, the choppers couldn’t fly.
“The stranded tourists are safe and staying in various accommodations. The state and the army are giving them all essential services. Tomorrow (Sunday), if the weather clears up, the evacuation process will start,” said a source in the Sikkim government.
Fresh advisory
On Friday, the Sikkim tourism and civil aviation department issued a fresh advisory mentioning that tourists can visit the safe southern and western parts of the state that have popular destinations like Namchi, Ravangla and Pelling.
“They can travel to these places via Kalimpong and Darjeeling as NH10 is closed in most parts,” said an official.
A day earlier, the department had issued an advisory asking tourists not to visit the state in the wake of the devastation.
The new advisory brought some respite to tourism stakeholders.
“The sector will face an impact due to the natural calamity during the Durga Puja and Diwali tourism season. But this new advisory can help us send at least some tourists to Sikkim,” said a tour operator in Siliguri.
Stakeholders help
With the flash flood hitting Sikkim and damaging certain areas of Kalimpong, tourism industry stakeholders have taken up the task of helping tourists and residents.
They have opened helplines, are offering free accommodation to stranded tourists and distributing relief materials in the affected parts of the hills.
“Our members distributed food grain and blankets to over 500 families in Singtam and Rangpo on Friday,” said Tanmoy Goswami, the coordinator of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network.
The organisation, he said, has also sent a team of members to the hills to assess the damage to NH10, the status of detours, and if people who stay in remote villages and run homestays or are associated with tourist transport are affected.
The Eastern Himalaya Travel and Tour Operators Association, another organisation in north Bengal and Sikkim, will send a team to Triveni and Melli in Kalimpong with relief items on Monday.
Debasish Maitra, association president, said: "After the recent disaster, the site at Triveni, the confluence of the Teesta and Rangeet rivers, has been damaged. We are making preparations to support families who are engaged in providing assistance to tourists.”
In Siliguri, members of the Greater Siliguri Hoteliers’ Welfare Association have decided to offer free accommodation to affected tourists in at least two rooms in each hotel across the city once they descend from the hills, said Ujjwal Ghosh, the secretary of the association.
